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// 46 - Out of the Frying Pan 
// Story: The Apple Falls Far from the Tree 
// by David Silver 
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The food that had taunted them earlier faded away as if it were never there, along with the bright lighting and other signs of welcome. They were soon in just another foreboding cavern. Applejack frowned at the transformation, nudging a decrepit looking table. "Reckon we ain't welcome for lunch no more."

Willow pointed at two exits, one being a tunnel and another a wooden door. "We have little choice but to proceed forward and hope for the best. Be on your guard."

Apple Bloom pointed towards the cave. "If we keep on a goin' the way Applejack was before, that's the right one."

Applejack smiled at her sister. "Right ya are. Let's get movin'."

Lex seemed not to hear them. He had turned his back to the rest of the group, knowing that he couldn't keep the hurt and betrayal that he felt from showing on his face. How dare they...

The comments from the others about how he had dispatched that thing, delivered so casually, had cut him to the quick. Again...again he had done the right thing, and was being scorned for it! That monster, whatever it had been, had attacked them first, trying to use invasive mind-controlling magic on them - and on the children! - but somehow he was the one at fault for defending them?! 

Why didn't they understand? When somepony used magic on you without permission, that was an attack - especially if it was an unknown entity in a hostile situation - and it was completely acceptable to respond with whatever force was necessary to neutralize the threat, even if that required more force than the initial attack. They should have been grateful, but for some unknowable reason, they saw fit to castigate him instead!

It was the story of his life. It was his childhood all over again; no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he was shunned by everypony else! But that wasn't the worst part...

"You wouldn't zap me for doing that, would you?" Sonata's question had stabbed into his heart, and it was almost more than he could bear. That one statement had utterly repudiated everything he'd thought about her. It negated everything he'd hoped, because that single sentence had told him the truth:

She didn't trust him.

Of course she doesn't trust you, the hateful words lanced into Lex's distraught mind. At some point his shadow had moved, and was now looming on the wall in front of him, looking down on him both literally and metaphorically. Nopony trusts you. Nopony believes in you. You were a fool for believing otherwise. What mare would ever want to share her life with somepony as noxious as you?

Lex could feel himself starting to shake as an overwhelming sense of humiliation settled over him. He had started to open up to her, to show her affection...in front of others, no less! To think that he had done so when she thought so little of him that she'd thought he would kill her without compassion. It was clear now that she had thought nothing of his feelings for her, and that realization was unbearable.

The only thing that made it any better was the emotion that flowed over him a moment later: absolute bitterness. He welcomed it, burying his pain and his shame under the onslaught of loathing, trying to drown them with it, letting his acrimony for Sonata and all of the others who had oh-so-casually spurned him fill his heart.

Lost in his own misery, Lex didn't notice the black crystals that had begun to sprout around him...

While the others advanced forward. Sonata never stopped watching Lex. When he began to descend into depression, he advanced on him and reached to pull him closer. "Don't look like that. It's OK. Like, we all overreact sometimes." She moved to nuzzle him gently. "This place is just so totally unbearable. I thought Everglow was the pits, but this place is totally the worst."

The only response she received was a wordless snarl as Lex pushed her away. He regarded her for a long moment, breathing heavily with restrained emotions, and the look on his face was one that he would have given his worst enemy.

After a long moment, he closed his eyes. Pushing his feelings down hurt with the pain of an old wound being torn open, but he managed it nonetheless. "We should keep moving," his voice was utterly flat, devoid of emotion. "It's not safe here." Without looking at her, he turned to follow the rest of the party.

Sonata frowned a little. "Why are you looking at me that way? We're supposed to be, like, friends and stuff." She trailed after him. "You're letting this place get to you too. We have to stick together, not pick fights..." She grit her teeth a moment, trying to press close to Lex again. "Come on, I didn't mean anything bad. Don't be like that."

Applejack looked over her shoulder at the two chatting in the back. "Ah'd like ta have the slightest chance of surprise on our side if possible?"

Scootaloo snorted out a giggle. "Yeah, like hooves on rock is real quiet." She emphasized her statement with a few clip-clops in place.

Lex ignored his companions completely, picking up his pace and leaving Sonata at the back of the group as he moved towards the front, wand at the ready. He truly hoped they'd encounter another monster soon; he badly wanted a target to vent his anger on.

Despite any concern for safety, Sonata kept after Lex. "This isn't funny! Stop ignoring me..."

Willow put a paw on Sonata, stopping her from advancing forward any further. "You're barking up the wrong tree."

"I don't bark?"

Willow rolled her eyes. "You're not getting anywhere. That boy's full of complications and you just tripped over them I think. Give him some time to cool off."

Sonata shuffled in place. "But I don't want to be alone..." She looked to Willow. "I... thought we were friends... like, deeper than that."

"Do you love him?" Willow cocked a brow.

Sonata went quiet, walking along with Willow and entirely uncertain. She grunted in annoyance with herself and everything else. "Maybe?"

"That's a yes. Let him cool off a little, then apologize."

Sonata's expression fell. "I don't know what I even did wrong... I'm totally sorry for making him angry. I just want to be with him."

Their private conversation was extremely unprivate in the barren caves. The fillies looked amused by the exchange. It was like watching a play, only right there in front of them without having to buy tickets. Applejack did her best to ignore the entire thing, focused on being ready for whatever the labyrinth had prepared for them. "Ya know, maybe y'all are scaring off whatever's in here."

Sunflower raised a paw. "That's a good thing, right?"

Lex was similarly ignoring the entire exchange, at least outwardly. In fact, he was paying very close attention to what was being said, though he had no idea how to react to it. Sonata's protestations of ignorance infuriated him even as her expressions of remorse took the edge off of his anger. It was all so confusing!

Alas, nothing came to disrupt them. They walked on and on through unending twists and turns, always taking the right-hoof side until they eventually came across the same dining room, with the same scorch on the same table where the fake Twilight had once stood. Applejack scowled as she stepped into the room. "Consarnit. We're being played fer fools."

Sweetie tilted her head. "Better than being devoured by hungry monsters?"

Scootaloo snorted. "I'd rather fight a few of them and get out. What's up with this place?"

Applejack moved up to a table and clopped on it loudly. "Whoever's in charge here, come on down an' talk already!"

The door they hadn't entered before swung open and Twilight emerged, none the worse for wear for being electrocuted to dust. "I was hoping you'd come around. Now, shall we talk like civilized people?"

Lex turned his gaze to the false Twilight, but other than keeping his wand at the ready, didn't react. It was the memory of how the others had reacted to his trying to destroy that thing last time, rather than any desire to parley, that kept him in check. Let them do it their way this time; once they fouled it up, they'd be the ones to need him to rescue them.

Sweetie hopped up onto one of the benches. "Let's have a discussion."

Scootaloo scowled at the false Twilight. "Starting with why we're here and how to get home."

Applejack nodded in agreement with Scootaloo. "We're not off ta tha right hoof here."

Twilight strode towards them at a leisurely stroll. "Don't be so worked up. We've met before. You've done my handiwork, Applejack, savior of the short legs. I'm wearing this shell to be more familiar. Do you like it?"

Apple Bloom waved a hoof. "Not really. We'd rather see what ya really are."

Sunflower admitted. "It's pretty enough..." This got him a glare from Sweetie Belle. "Uh, but your normal form would be nice."

"Since you mentioned our rescuing those smaller ponies, that makes you that 'mistress' that figure boasted about," spoke Lex. It was a statement, rather than a question. "Which settles the question of who brought us here. What's less obvious is why."

The facade of Twilight fell away, leaving a pale purple pony with white mane and tail, flowers woven into both and a large amulet of emerald around her neck. "There are many who eagerly slay to bask in my presence, such is my thanks for your work. I am Kara, queen of love, mistress of shapeshifters, and final word in this domain."



Applejack raised a brow. "Now lemme make sure ah understand. Ah thought ya gods or whateva couldn't just mess with things direct like."

Kara chuckled softly. "Such is the pact, on Everglow. You are not there. I did not force you to come here. I did not even invite you to come here. That was entirely your decision to make. But let's put that dreadful business aside." With a wave of a hoof, the food returned to the tables. "Eat. You must be tired after all that walking."

Lex was unmoving as he tried to figure out the best response to the revelation of who was before them, the realization that they were in the domain of a goddess being enough to snap him out of his petulance. This wasn't Tartarus...this was much, much worse.

Sweetie nudged an apple on the table in front of her. "You're very kind, Miss Kara? But we really want to get home, if that wouldn't be too inconvenient? I'm sure a powerful god like yourself could get us there in a flash."

Kara smiled at Sweetie Belle, looking pleased. "Oh I like you... Of course I could send you on your way, and I will! I'm not a monster, after all... But I have one more teeny tiny favor to ask." She reared onto her hind-legs and held her hooves close apart. "Barely a trifle, really."

Sunflower and Willow were more cowed than the rest. They knew gods from a lifetime of awareness, and negotiating with one was quite off their radar of things to do.

Scootaloo did not share this timidity. She flew up to Kara, hovering awkwardly in front of her. "We don't have to do anything!"

Kara reached up and gently pulled Scootaloo to the ground before patting her on the head. "Of course you don't. But you will listen to what I desire before you make your decision." The statement was just that. There was little room for debate.

Lex lowered his wand, though he didn't put it away...he doubted it would help much if things deteriorated into a fight, but it was better than nothing. Putting that thought out of his mind, he instead tried to analyze what the goddess was telling them.

Since his arrival in Everglow some months ago, Lex had thrown himself into learning everything he could about it. That was simply common sense when arriving in a new environment. Unfortunately, their religions were an area that he hadn't yet had time to study; it simply hadn't been a priority, not with how distant and inactive those beings had seemed at the time...something that had ceased to be the case.

"Why would a being that purportedly has such power, to hear the ponies of Everglow tell it, need us to do anything for her? Don't you have legions of followers slavishly devoted to running whatever errands you need done?" Lex's voice was guarded, but neutral.

"Right you are," spoke Kara, turning her gaze on Lex. "On Everglow, my needs are well met. My cherished pets rush to fulfill my designs to help ensure a better future. However, where you wish to go is not Everglow. My little pink failure has fled to your idyllic little land, and she must be ever-so lonely there. We can't have that."

Applejack shook her head. "Not followin' ya a little bit. Can ya make that a bit simpler?"

Kara snorted, displeased with Applejack's ignorance. "Very well. In the simplest terms I can think of. I want to visit your Equestria."

Scootaloo waved a hoof up at Kara. "No way! You're obviously a super villain."

Apple Bloom nodded lightly. "Ah wouldn't put it in those words, but ya don't come across as the nicest pony ah ever met what with the tunnels and the creepy monster in a hole."

Kara looked towards Sonata. "You're looking a little lost."

Sonata jumped in place, suddenly being looked directly at. "Oh, uh, just thinking, about stuff..."